I At its core, this is a good book. I think most people will enjoy it. It’s like if Daisy Jones and the Six met a thriller book. The book follows a girl band who are traveling in upstate New York during a snowstorm and it ends in a car crash. However this one felt off for me. I think it was a mix of the writing style and the fact that the “twist” or “reveal” happened earlier in the book than I was expecting. I think the suspense of what happened could’ve been drawn out just a bit more to increase the tension as the atmosphere was one of best parts of the book. I also had a bit of a hard time keeping the characters separate as I think they were just a bit too similar. Overall, a unique premise mixed with some common thriller elements this was an entertaining book! Thanks to NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.75/5 Stars

Um. So when they say dnf books? Yeah I can't do that but this probably would've been I'd dnf. But I have to say the last like 4 chapters? Not expected and actually some what decent.

My biggest struggle was the writing. It felt like a 16 year old wrote it and I guess that kind of makes sense since the girls we start reading about were pretty young when the story started. The ending was pretty good because I wasn't expecting it but the dual timelines just did not work. Instead of building character dimensions it built lots of confusion and extra pages unnecessarily.

If Regina George wrote a book and was a
Sociopath, this would be it.

Sorry netgalley & author. But just not my cup of tea.

I enjoyed the beginning of “Only One Survives” as it started right in the middle of the action and the accident the band was involved in. As the story went on though, I just couldn’t find any likable qualities in the main characters and so as the different twists occurred, I found myself not really caring what happened to them. While I think many will find this a thrilling and entertaining read, I found it rather predictable and was just looking forward to starting my next book by the end. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was invited to the Blog Tour for this title. The link to my blog below.
Publication Date: July 16th, 2024
Only One Survives
By Author Hannah Mary McKinnon


https://wendyreadsandwrites.blogspot.com/2024/07/blog-tour-only-one-survives-novel-by.html

This is frightening, intense, heart throbbing, perfectly executed, riveting mystery keeps astonishing you with well thrown, calculated twists on your way at the moments you never expected!

Unreliable villanelles, toxic, dysfunctional relationships, surprising revelations keep you at the edge of your seats!

This is addictive ride you don’t want to put it down till you reach the perfect ending! It’s so freaking good!

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my review.

I do not believe I was the target audience for this book. I almost had to DNF, but I wanted to push through and prove myself wrong. This book reads much more YA, which I am not a fan of. I also found the plot somewhat confusing to follow while also being extremely repetitive. The narrator was just gaslighting us throughout the entire book. I can't get down with an unreliable narrator. I feel as though this book would be much more suited for a YA audience.

This was the first book I’ve read by Hannah Mary McKinnon and I can’t wait to read more! It gave all the pop-rock vibes! Only One Survives follows two best friends, Vienna & Madison, as they navigate fulfilling their dreams of performing in a band together. How far will they go to become famous?

I really enjoyed the alternating timelines before the accident and the present. It brought a back story to the characters and the dynamic of their friendship. I also loved the media elements!

Thank you to netgalley and harlequin trade publishing for the opportunity to read this e-arc!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and MIRA Books for the early release of Only One Survives. I enjoyed this book giving it a solid 3.5 stars. Once I was hooked I wanted to find out what really happened and how it was all going to come together in the end.

As a reader who loves and reads many thrillers it is difficult to shock me while reading this genre. I was not overly stunned when the twist happened I thought it could be possible but wasn’t one hundred percent sure. Some little things also threw me for a loop that I did not see coming.

If you like music bands, creepy cabins, wintry woods, and unreliable characters then this book is for you!

This book follows two young women who become friends after an altercation in high school going from enemies to fast friends. They both have a love for music and decide to make a musical duo that eventually becomes a five person band. One of the girls comes from money while the other comes from a broken home filled with no luxuries. They each get a taste of the fame and want it more than anything. What is the limit of fame and what are you willing to do to have your name in lights and on headlines even if it’s negative infamous attention?

Find out soon when you pick up this book that comes out this Tuesday 7/16! It’s a great mystery that will have you second guessing everything!

An author whose books I will always read is Hannah Mary McKinnon. Her newest novel is Only One Survives, and it centers on a band named Bittersweet and a terrible accident on a snowy night.

I love the author’s writing, and she knows how to build suspense keeping the reader engaged. I enjoyed the first part of the book and was totally into it. There is nothing better than a locked room thriller, in this case, an abandoned cabin during a snowstorm.

All drummer Vienna Taylor ever wanted was to make music. If that came with fame, she’d take it — as long as her best friend, guitarist Madison Pierce, was sharing the spotlight and singing lead. And with their new all-female pop rock band gaining traction, soon everyone would hear their songs…

Except, on the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careened off an icy mountain road during a blizzard — leaving one member dead and another severely injured.

In order to survive the frigid night, the rest took shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin. But Vienna’s dreams devolved into a terrifying nightmare as, one by one, her fellow band members met a gruesome end…and Madison simply vanished in the night.

What really happened to the Bittersweet? Did Vienna’s closest friend finally decide to take center stage on her own terms?

She doesn’t want to believe it.

But guilty people run.

So what is the price of fame? Can the cost be too high? That’s the focus of Hannah Mary McKinnon’s latest thriller ONLY ONE SURVIVES. This one had me on the edge of my seat throughout.

Vienna Taylor is just a songwriting drummer who only wants to play music. That’s it! Not too much to ask, right? If fame comes along for the ride, it is what it is. She just wants to play music with her best friend, lead guitarist/singer, Madison Pierce. But Madison is a ‘good girl’ who does what her rich father demands under threat of his withdrawal of financial support if she doesn’t go to college at NYU. Struggling, financially strapped Vienna remains home with her irresponsible mother so that she can care for her beloved grandmother. When she passes away, Vienna leaves town and her mother in the dust and heads to Madison and their music. As they start to make a name for themselves, Vienna unilaterally decides to expand the band. Madison is resistant to her idea from the get-go and becomes somewhat of a diva among the band mates. It also seems that she is jealous of Vienna’s attentions being on anyone or anything other than her.

When their van careens off an icy road one night, one of the members dies and the others take shelter from a storm in an abandoned cabin. BUT, what evil lurks within the walls? As the remaining band members meet untimely ends, Vienna and a documentary research assistant, Libby are locked in the cabin’s basement and Madison disappears. When Vienna ’saves’ Libby and they escape the house of horrors, Vienna’s fame skyrockets. Promising a tell all about the incident, Vienna remains in the news and the country is searching for Madison. There’s only one person who really knows what happened in that cabin and she’s not talking.

As I said, this one had me from beginning to end. I love stories about the quest for fame and glory. Throw an all girl rock band and murder into the mix and I’m all in. As usual, the author’s writing is clear and concise. I could feel the tension mount and the cold of trekking through the blizzard in search of help. I will continue to keep Hannah Mary McKinnon as one author I look forward to reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Thank you to Harlequin & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Only One Survives is like a mashup of Yellowjackets and Daisy Jones & the Six but just an ok version. This started very promising, an all-girls band is on the way to an interview during a severe winter storm when there is a horrible accident. Three band members are dead, one is missing, and only one survives, is it a horrible accident or foul play? This got me hooked right away but unfortunately, I feel that the length of this novel is part of its demise.

Only One Survives is a duo timeline, we see the band members directly after the accident and we are following Vee, our main character, recounting her life and the form of the band The Bittersweets. I enjoyed the dual timeline shift but it started to drag, I even remember having to re-read some chapters cause I zoned out and wanted to get back to the present time.

The twist was another shock to me, I did kinda see it coming but it was more of how it was delivered. There wasn't a build-up to it which irked me. I think if it was revealed differently the story would have had a bigger impact on me as a reader. I was still shocked, I had to re-read the passage over again to make sure I didn't confuse myself.

Only One Survives also utilizes interviews and podcast narration throughout the book. I think reading this with your ears might be better for this kind of story.

Wow!
I did not want to put this book down!

An up an coming all female band gets in a tragic accident on their was to big party during a snow storm. If that's not bad enough bad thing start to happen after finding shelter in a abandoned cabin.

Told by the point of view of the only surviver in past, time of the accident, and after.

This is a must read!

I’d been looking forward to diving into this book but didn’t find it enrapturing. I persevered to the end but overall I was disappointed.
I’m a fan of her writing but this was not my favourite Hannah Mary McKinnon book.
Thank You to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Hannah Mary McKinnon for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Only One Survives follows Vienna, a drummer in an up-and-coming pop rock band called The Bittersweet. One night while traveling, The Bittersweet is in an accident in a secluded area where three of the members of the group are killed, two are presumed missing and only one is identified as found. Only One Survives follows three different timelines, the night and day after the accident overlapping with the before the accident and after.

I wanted so much to like Only One Survives. I found myself glued to the page for the first half of the book. I enjoyed following Vienna and Madison's friendship from years before the accident but wasn't as interested in the occurrences of the actual accident. I felt so bad for Vienna and the situations that happened in her life- between abusive parents, her grandmother's health declining, and how many struggles she had otherwise.

I also really enjoyed the use of multimedia in this book. The mix of interviews and posts were used expertly and were fun to read.

However, there is a very revealing twist about halfway through that changed my mind about Vienna. I went from having high hopes that she would survive and become the artist she dreams of to hating her. I felt that there was no one left to cheer for, as none of the characters were likeable.

While the events that unfold after the accident kept me interested, Vienna seemed too much like a victim to me. She does horrible things but only worries about herself- I felt lead to expect her to be someone else up until the major twist.

Overall, the writing is compelling. I really kept reading to see what twists were in store next and I didn't expect the end twist at all. I do want to try another book by McKinnon. However, this one sadly did not work out for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

After two excellent experiences with her writing, Hannah Mary McKinnon is firmly on my list of must-read authors. I've been eyeing her newest title Only One Survives ever since I first heard about it, and this was even before spotting the Daisy Jones And The Six comparison and the bad weather/remote setting trope... It's easy to understand why I couldn't resist an invitation to read this story, and I'm happy to announce that it definitely lived up to expectations for me!

If you enjoy reading about the inner workings of a band a la Daisy Jones And The Six, this story will more than deliver. True, it is not just about the band itself and the main focus is on the (quite dysfunctional and honestly toxic) friendship between the original members Madison and Vienna. True, it is also very much a crime thriller with everything that happens after the car accident in the present... But it is still very easy to understand that comparison, as the Bittersweet members give you a very similar vibe and the story isn't afraid to show you both sides of fame.

Only One Survives is divided into two parts as well as different points in time. The story switches between the present and everything that happens and the past as it shows how Vienna and Madison first meet and how they end up forming the Bittersweet. I confess that the first part didn't always fully convince me, as there was quite a lot of focus of family drama, abuse, parental pressure and dysfunctional relationships in general especially in the flashbacks. I much preferred the present timeline, as I always have a weak spot for a remote setting and a bout of bad weather to spice things up. BUT. The second part was simply brilliant, and made you doubt everything you had just read. SO unexpected, and it completely redeemed the story for me. I never saw it coming!

There is quite a lot of focus on the characters and their development, and there is no doubt that especially Vienna and Madison have major flaws. Their friendship is so incredibly toxic, but also fascinating to read about at the same time. You cannot help but feel for Vienna as it seems like everything in her life works against her... Madison is not as easy to warm up to, but I do appreciate the role she plays in the plot. And Vienna! Boy, my feelings were all over the place when it comes to her, and especially after certain things are revealed in part two. One of the most clever character developments I've come across lately, that's for sure.

If you are looking for an engaging, fast-paced and suspenseful psychological thriller that mixes drama and dysfuncional relationships with music and a dose of crime, I can highly recommend Only One Survives. It only reconfirmed my love for Hannah Mary McKinnon's writing for me!

Hmmm… so this book follows the band The Bittersweet who gets into a crash in the middle of nowhere and now there’s only one survivor, a founding member of the band named Vee.

First off, I was disappointed that this book is marketed to adults because frankly it read very much like a YA novel not only because of the characters ages but the way it’s written was very simple. I had a very hard time getting into a story about teenagers/young adults.

Truthfully I almost DNFd it purely because it felt like a YA novel. Had I known it would basically be YA, I would not have requested it.


Another issue I had with it is that I didn’t feel I was given enough information about the characters to care about their well being. We get snippets of a rough home life and the dynamics between Vee and Madison but nothing substantial enough for me.

Finally.. the ending… sigh..

Spoilers ahead…

If you’re a potential reader stop reading now!

I do not like being gaslit by an inner monologue. We are in Vee’s head the entire book and she is gaslighting everyone in the story, as well as us as the reader and herself too?? Claiming her innocence in her own head? Then that means are supposed to believe that she’s just so insane that she believes her lies? But that’s not even true because she eventually admits everything to us as the reader. Really feels like was the story was coming to ahead without proper set up for a twist so it took the easy way out even though it’s truly makes zero sense. To be completely honest, that twist felt like an insult of my intelligence.

Sorry if that was too harsh but truly, such a lazy twist.

4 ⭐️ If you like thrillers this is one for you! It has more twists and turns than the Top Thrill Dragster! I did not see this one coming. Really enjoyed the surprise ending as well!

First we have high schooler Vivienne, poor, abusive household, not many friends, but a genius on the drums. She is befriended by Madison, rich, popular, controlling parents and a talented guitarist. Eventually they form a band and bring in 3 more band mates and hit it big on social media! The band Bittersweet has an upcoming record deal and are on their way to fame and fortune!

The second half of the story focuses on a tragic car accident and the death of 3 of the girls and the disappearance of Madison. Can Viv hold up to all the publicity, scrutiny, and notoriety trending on social media as the only one to survive?

This story is all about friendship, jealousy, mental illness, abuse, and celebrity,. What price fame? How far will some go to be on top? What is friendship really worth?

Thanks NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC for my honest review.

Vienna and Madison meet in high school and become best friends. They are completely different. Madison's family is very rich. Her parents are also very controlling. Vienna just moved in with her new step father along with her mom and grandma. They make Vienna work and take a huge chunk of the money she makes. Both drink way too much. Madison and Vienna start a music duo. They bonded over the older music they both loved. When Madison started college in NYC, she invited Vienna to live with her. Madison is partying and not doing well in school. Vienna works as much as possible and starts to practice on the drums she bought. The duo plays a few last minute songs at a bar (cafe? I can't remember) and they were a hit. Both decided that they wanted to focus more on music. Vienna decides that they need a full band even though Madison doesn't agree. She wants the focus and money on her. But after meeting three other girls that play, their new band was formed. The Bittersweet are really starting to take off when they get into a car accident in a snowstorm. One member died. The rest (along with Libby the documentarian) find an abandoned cabin the take shelter in. Other members start to die while they're there.

The book takes place in multiple timelines. The reader gets to go back and see how Vienna and Madison's friendship started. There is before the accident, the day of, and after the accident. The pacing is decent. It felt a tiny bit slow at times, but overall, it worked well.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It revolves around a group of five ladies from a band called The Bittersweet on their way to fame. This book was a page-turner, and I wanted to know what happened at the cabin and after the car crash. As things began to unfold, the story showed how a little bit of fame can change a person you thought you knew. I didn’t see any of the plot twists coming, and I couldn’t put this book down. I was 100% invested in this story. At first, I was worried about keeping up with the multiple characters, but the way the author set it all up flowed so well.

This was my first book by this author, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Now this was a psychological thriller! This is my first read from Hannah Mary McKinnon and I'd definitely like to read more of her thrillers.

This book follows 2 girls who form a duo that turns into a popular 5 member band. After a tragic car accident, greed and vindictiveness take over and the reader is left wondering who really survived and who has the malice to reduce the number of band members for their own personal gain.

There were two twists. One about halfway through and another at the end. I was worried after the first one because there was still another half of the book left and I wasn't sure that there was enough story to warrant that. I was wrong. There was so much more! I read this book cover to cover in one sitting because I just had to know where this was going to end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Pub date July 16, 2024